Page 104 of Abundance of Obsession

God, even under the influence, he’s as strong as a fucking horse. I don’t stand a chance against him, but I refuse to give up without a fight.

Grabbing his arm with both hands, I dig my nails into his skin. But it seems to make no impression on him.

“I don’t know how you did it, and I don’t give a shit. I’m asking who the fuck you are! You were standing there in the crowd. That’s when I saw it. I know you. But from where?”

“From hell. The one you created for me.” I’m gasping, but only after those words does his grip loosen.

“You fucking bitch!”

Owen can’t believe his eyes. With the hand that was choking me, he hurls me to the ground like a rag doll.

Just like you sometimes see in movies, I roll a few times. Pain shoots through my knees and hip; something sharp cuts through the skin on my left hand. It stings like hell. But the most important thing is that I can finally catch my breath. His hand may not be on my neck, but I still feel its presence. I struggle to draw air into my lungs.

However, the most dangerous aspect is that I’m facing away from the enemy. By the time I realize this, it’s already too late. I’m scrambling to my feet and am on my knees when a solid kick hits my stomach. With a groan, I fall onto my back.

Owen’s advantage, despite the drug he took, isn’t speed at all—it’s strength. Unfortunately, I didn’t take that away from him. And now it’s my downfall.

A heavy body presses down on me as he sits on my waist. My neck feels the snake-grip of his fingers again.

Fuck. This isn’t good!

“Hello, little Zoe,” he growls, baring his teeth, the predator that he is. “When you spoke, I looked into your eyes. You’ve changed. How are you, little sister?”

“I’m not—your—little sister.”

“You’re right, you’re not. It’s hard to believe you’ve betrayed me like this. You’ve ruined everything I’ve worked for these past few years.”

“You deserve it.” My breath sounds like a whistle.

He sneers. “But I’ve thought about you all these years. I wondered what was happening to you, where my favorite toy was.”

“Toy? You tormented me. You wanted to kill me.”

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t... You were the perfect escape from all the shit life brought to our door. And now you’ve come to me on your own. Isn’t that ironic?”

My childhood rival, my tormentor. Hatred and disgust fill me. Looking into that one open eye, I see that the same bastard is sitting inside.

Swollen cuts and a puffy cheek match the dried blood on his face. I don’t want this to be the last face I see in my life.

“It’s your time to die. There’s nothing I wanted more growing up in that fucked-up house. I wanted to see the life drain from your eyes.” Drops of his spit land on my face as he speaks. His hand clenches again.

I made a mistake.

Eli…

His face appears in my mind.

He’ll be furious when he finds out what I did, how much I put myself at risk.

I blink a few times to focus my vision, but it’s no use. Everything I see blurs.

No! No! No!

It can’t end like this!

I try to kick my legs, but it’s useless. He’s too heavy to shake off. With my arms outstretched, I frantically feel around the surrounding ground.

Nothing… Nothing…